What if an Affirm or BNPL loan was opened in my name without my consent?

This notice

You got a text, email, app alert, statement, or credit-report line for an Affirm, Klarna, Afterpay, Sezzle, or other buy-now-pay-later loan you did not open or authorize.

This is not LIVE credit-card-opened-without-consent (a revolving card). Use that guide for a card account. This page is only a BNPL or Affirm-style installment plan in your name.

This is not LIVE vehicle-loan-opened-without-consent or LIVE checking-account-opened-without-consent. Those cover auto finance and bank deposit accounts. Keep this page when the notice names a BNPL lender or checkout plan.

The CFPB page What is a Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) loan? describes BNPL as a way to buy now and repay in a short set of payments, often four, with little or no money down at checkout. The same family of products shows up under brand names such as Affirm, Klarna, Afterpay, and Sezzle. Brand names change; the notice sentence is the same: a BNPL loan or plan you did not approve.

The CFPB page What do I do if I am a victim of identity theft? says to close or secure affected accounts, report the theft to local police and at IdentityTheft.gov, place fraud alerts or security freezes, and protect your credit. The FTC pages What To Know About Identity Theft and Identity Theft point to the same IdentityTheft.gov report and recovery plan.

Recent CFPB complaint themes describe Affirm or other BNPL plans opened after a phishing text, a stolen phone code, a houseguest’s checkout, or a credit-report tradeline the person never applied for. Some people first saw an email that said “see your statement” for a plan they did not create. Official Ask pages win any conflict with street tips that say to ignore the bill and hope it vanishes.

Official path

1. Save the text, email, app screenshot, statement, merchant receipt if any, and any credit-report page that shows the BNPL or Affirm loan. Write the date you first noticed it. Do not delete the thread until you have copies.

2. Report the theft at IdentityTheft.gov. The identity-theft Ask page says you will get an Identity Theft Report and a recovery plan. Also report to local police if that is part of your plan. Keep the report number with your letters.

3. Tell the BNPL company in writing that the account or plan is not yours. For Affirm, use the company’s help articles Report unauthorized Affirm account or plan and Report a problem or file a dispute. For Klarna, Afterpay, Sezzle, or another brand, use that company’s fraud or unauthorized-account form and keep a confirmation number. Ask them to close the plan, stop billing, and stop reporting it as your debt.

4. Protect your credit. The identity-theft Ask page says to place a fraud alert with one nationwide credit reporting company so the others are notified, or use a security freeze. The CFPB page What is a credit freeze or security freeze? explains freezes. Read both pages before you choose alert, freeze, or both.

5. Dispute the tradeline under the CFPB page How do I dispute an error on my credit report?. Write each credit reporting company that shows the BNPL loan and write the BNPL furnisher. Explain that you did not open or authorize the plan. Enclose copies of your Identity Theft Report and the notice or screenshot. That Ask page says that if the error looks like identity theft, visit IdentityTheft.gov.

6. Watch for collectors. The CFPB page What happens if I can’t pay back a Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) loan? says unpaid BNPL can go to collectors and may be reported to credit reporting companies. If a collector contacts you about this plan, send a written dispute that it is identity theft, attach your Identity Theft Report, and do not treat the call as proof you owe the purchase.

7. Submit a complaint at Submit a complaint if the BNPL company keeps billing or reporting the plan after you disputed, or if a bureau leaves the tradeline after a complete dispute. Attach your Identity Theft Report, screenshots, and letters. The CFPB Fraud and scams hub also lists identity-theft tools.

People on forums sometimes say “just ignore Affirm and it falls off.” The identity-theft and credit-dispute Ask pages win that conflict. Report, dispute in writing, and complain if the loan stays on your file or keeps billing.

What people reported

Often helps

• Filing at IdentityTheft.gov the same day as the Affirm or BNPL alert, then sending the Identity Theft Report number to the BNPL fraud team and each credit bureau with a written dispute.
• Freezing credit files after the report so new BNPL or card applications in your name are harder to open while you clean up the first plan.

Often fails

• Making a “temporary” payment so the BNPL app will “investigate,” then learning the company treated the payment as proof the plan was yours.
• Waiting until a collector calls. CFPB complaint themes describe BNPL plans that moved to collections and credit reporting after people delayed the identity-theft report. Reddit threads were not reachable (HTTP 403); themes above track CFPB narratives about unauthorized Affirm and similar BNPL plans. Official Ask pages win any conflict.

Template

[DATE]

[BNPL COMPANY NAME — Affirm, Klarna, Afterpay, Sezzle, or name on the notice]
[ADDRESS OR SECURE MESSAGE CHANNEL FROM THE COMPANY’S FRAUD OR DISPUTE PAGE]

Re: Unauthorized buy-now-pay-later account / plan [ACCOUNT OR LOAN ID IF SHOWN]

I did not open, apply for, authorize, or benefit from the buy-now-pay-later loan or plan referenced above. I first learned of it on [DATE] from a [TEXT / EMAIL / APP ALERT / CREDIT REPORT / COLLECTION LETTER].

Please treat this as a report of an unauthorized account or plan and as a dispute of any balance. Close the plan, stop all billing and auto-pay attempts, and stop reporting this account as my debt to any credit reporting company.

I reported this identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov. My Identity Theft Report / confirmation is [NUMBER OR “attached”]. A copy of the notice or screenshot is enclosed.

Send written confirmation that the plan is closed, that I am not liable, and that you have corrected or deleted any credit reporting. Mail or message your reply to the address below.

This letter is not an admission that I owe the purchase or any fees.

[FULL NAME]
[MAILING ADDRESS]
[PHONE]
[EMAIL]

Stop here if…

• The paper is a revolving credit card opened in your name. Use the credit-card-opened-without-consent guide.
• The paper is a vehicle loan or auto account opened in your name. Use the vehicle-loan-opened-without-consent guide.
• The paper is a checking or savings account opened in your name. Use the checking-account-opened-without-consent guide.
• You authorized the BNPL purchase and only dispute the merchant product, delivery, or refund. Use the BNPL company’s purchase-dispute path and, if a card funded the plan, your card billing-error rights—not this identity-theft page.
• A collector is chasing a BNPL plan you already proved was identity theft and collection continued after your written dispute. Keep this file’s letters, then use the collection-i-do-not-recognize guide for collector validation steps.

FAQ

Is this the same as a credit card opened without my consent?

No. That guide is for a revolving credit card account. This page is for an Affirm, Klarna, Afterpay, Sezzle, or similar buy-now-pay-later installment plan opened or financed in your name. Use the card guide if the paper is a card account, not a BNPL loan.

Is this the same as a vehicle loan or checking account opened without consent?

No. Those guides cover auto finance accounts and bank deposit accounts. Here the notice, text, email, or credit line names a BNPL or Affirm-style purchase plan.

What is a BNPL loan?

The CFPB page What is a Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) loan? says BNPL lets you buy something with little or no initial payment and pay the balance over a short set of payments, often four. You usually see the option online, in an app, or in a store. Read that page for how BNPL differs from a regular credit card.

Will unpaid BNPL hurt my credit or go to collections?

The CFPB page on what happens if you cannot pay back a BNPL loan says missed payments may bring late fees, a frozen BNPL account, debt collectors, and credit reporting. That is why you should dispute an unauthorized plan early—before you treat it as a normal bill you owe.

Do I need a police report?

The CFPB identity-theft Ask page says to report the theft to local police and at IdentityTheft.gov. IdentityTheft.gov gives you an Identity Theft Report and a recovery plan. Keep copies of both with your BNPL dispute letters.